What must've happened to you in your life to make you want to kill a beautiful animal & then lie next to it smiling? http://t.co/DyYw1T5ck2

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais)

The British funnyman slaps on the biting sarcasm to show how absurd and cruel these killings really are.

Well done. You managed to shoot a stationery, 14 foot peaceful creature with a high velocity rifle. Very sporting. http://t.co/Xuz7F5A3YT

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais)

While some recoil at the disturbing images, Gervais uses his public platform as a tool to raise awareness, and he doesn't apologize for it. To a tweeter who wrote, "I wish @rickygervais would stop posting pictures of dead giraffes," he replied. "I wish people would stop killing giraffes."

Indeed, the very point is for people to react to cruelty that might otherwise remain hidden.

My post about the giraffe hunter was seen by 27 million people on Twitter & Facebook in just one day. Keep up the good work. It all helps :)

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais)

Because of trophy hunting, giraffe populations are rapidly decreasing, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. In 1999, the population was more than 140,000, but has since dropped to fewer than 80,000 due to poaching, loss of habitat and human overpopulation. Animal advocates are trying to stop the trophy hunting of these majestic and harmless creatures.

Giraffes aren't the only animal getting a breath of fresh empathy from Gervais. He has spoken up for many animals, from rare rhinos to domesticated house cats. He even retweeted The Dodo's story about Sudan, the last male northern white rhino on earth.

Perhaps Gervais put it best:

If you don't have empathy with animals, you don't have empathy. http://t.co/cjSxVY5HrQ